coffee + cre8tive {june 6 '06}

I found a neat lady that really digs Japanese craft books, with a complete photo album showing various covers, and a blog called buzzville dedicated (well almost) to these beautiful handmade things from Japan. I could look at the covers of these craft books for hours, they appeal to me so much for so many reasons. I don't know, part of it is that they make me feel that same excitement that I felt in the 1980s when I first discovered Hello Kitty at my local Sanrio shop in South Carolina, where I grew up. I was so excited to see the Japanese language all over the products, bright red and pink cherry blossom stationery, pretty pastel Little Twin Stars and the ever adorable My Melody bunny, Hello Kitty's dearest pals. My love of Japanese packaging and prints goes back to those early days, when I was around 7 years old and my world was opening up, my eyes seeing things beyond America, my heart yearning to see more. Now, as I look at the various Japanese craft books that are gaining popularity here in the states, I rediscover that feeling of leaping joy all over again - the feeling that I truly haven't seen all that's out there (which many designers and writers like me deal with since we see so much). There's so much more to be discovered, so much talent to unearth, so much that lingers beyond the shores of North America and Europe, where I generally focus my design writing. Isn't it exciting for you to discover these treasures, too?